Ukrainian has unexploded grenade SURGICALLY REMOVED after being lodged in his torso

A Ukrainian soldier had to have an unexploded grenade surgically removed after it was lodged in his torso.

Explosive experts watched cautiously as the procedure was carried out by combat medics in case the device detonated as it was retrieved from inside the man’s body.

The grenade was fired from a launcher attacked to an assault rifle during combat between Ukrainian and Russian troops in Bakhmut, Donetsk.

The regional governor, Serhii Borzov explained: “Our military doctors performed an operation to remove an unexploded VOG grenade from the body of a serviceman.

“It was removed in the presence of two sappers who were ensuring the safety of medical staff.”

The doctor could not use modern apparatus over fears that it could trigger the grenade.

Images shared on social media showed the X-ray picture taken of the grenade as well as the surgeon posing with the grenade after a successful surgery.

Borzov continued: “The injured soldier was sent to further rehabilitation and recovery.”

Russian and Ukrainian forces were engaged in intense fighting on Wednesday over the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine - a stepping stone in Moscow's push to capture the entire Donbas region - with the Russians appearing to have the upper hand.

With the war now in its 11th month, Russian commanders have targeted Soledar as a platform to attack the nearby city of Bakhmut, which has held out for months against a Russian onslaught and is a hub for supply lines in eastern Ukraine.